Page 4 of Legal

“I imagine.” Set up shop in a place of lowered inhibitions? It’s a recipe for success.

We spent some time browsing the outdoor shops before Perry wanted to go secure her spot. To my surprise, there were already quite a few people guarding their space on the bench. It was one of the smaller stages without a huge amount of seating. We plunked down on the first row next to a woman with so many piercings in her face she looked like a disgruntled porcupine. My head ached looking at her.

“Excuse us,” I said. “My friend knows the band.” The woman rolled her eyes and turned her back on us.

I fanned myself with the program, lifting the hair off my neck. I’d resigned to the fact that I probably looked like a drowned rat by this point, but so did everyone else. It wouldn’t be dark for a good forty-five minutes, and the space was filling up quickly. Comfort was no longer a priority; I just wanted to get lost in some music. Except….

“Do your best to save my spot, okay? I need to run to the bathroom.”

“Are you sure? Already?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure I know if I have to pee or not,” I said. That first beer had traveled through me quickly. I thought it would have taken longer to break the seal since so much liquid was leaking out of my skin. Obviously, that wasn’t the case.

“Okay, but hurry up.”

I went in search of the nearest bathrooms, only to find the line out the door. I squeezed my abdomen tightly and headed farther out. It was even more packed, so I returned to the first. I took my place in the line and shifted from side to side, eyeing the men’s room with envy. No wait, like usual.

I was seriously considering sneaking in—I was in that much pain—but the line picked up, and I finally made it inside. Sweet relief.

I debated whether or not I should look up into the plexiglass mirror as I washed my hands, but what good was torturing yourself when nothing could be done about it? A loud beat reverberated inside me. Oh, shit….

I dashed out and navigated my way back to the stage. There was a mass of people congregated by the entrance, and I sidled through, no doubt pissing off a few. I had to get back to my seat, although it looked to be standing room only.

Inching through the rows, I found Perry stretched out on the bench, trying to save my seat. When she saw me, she scooted over. “Ugh, sorry. I forgot how long those bathroom lines could be.”

She didn’t reply, and I wondered if she’d even heard me. Between the stage mere feet in front of us and all the people screaming, I could barely hear myself.Wow, for a new band, they must be pretty well-known to attract this much attention.

Before long, we were standing anyway, so the benches were just taking up space. Their sound sucked me in. It was definitely alt rock but blurred. I liked that it couldn’t be pinpointed. Music had always flowed in my blood, and I appreciated what I was hearing. It caught me. Strong and deep.

I let the pulse fill me, and I swayed with Perry as she sang out songs I didn’t know the words to. In between numbers, I yelled out, “They’re really good.”

She gave me a huge smile. “I know.”

My eyes ran down the lead vocalist. His sound was amazing, and he was insanely good-looking to boot. Seriously? Gay? His painted-on leather pants were very pleasing to the eye. If he did not stuff himself, I felt very sorry for my fellow woman.

“Is he another friend of yours?” I pointed to the guitarist, and she shook her head. “Well, he keeps looking over here at you.”

“We are in the audience. Where else is he supposed to look? And how do you know he’s not checkingyouout?”

“Good one.”

I’d pretty much accepted that my days of getting out of speeding tickets were over. At ten years younger, Perry hadn’t reached that stage yet. She could still fall out of bed first thing in the morning and have men crashing through the window to catch her.

She started to reply but was drowned out by his acoustic rift. I focused on the vibrations, letting them course through me. I closed my eyes, and that’s when the dizziness took me by surprise. It barreled in out of nowhere, feeling like a tiny tornado inside my head. I was suddenly very claustrophobic.

“Water,” I shouted. Perry gave me a funny look, and I gestured to say I was stepping out to get some water. For all I knew, she probably thought I had to visit the bathroom again.

The spinning sensation intensified as my body squashed into others, and I hoped that if I did pass out, someone would be gracious enough to stop me from splattering all over the cement.

I made it out in one piece and counted my blessings when I spotted a drink counter with no line. That type of thing was unheard of here. I purchased and downed a bottle of water, instantly feeling more stable. I should have known better than to let myself get dehydrated. Obviously, I couldn’t mix alcohol and sweating anymore. God, things really did sneak up overnight.

I visited the pretzel stand next and picked up a big, gooey one with gobs of salt. I hoped Perry wouldn’t be too upset because I’d decided to sit out the rest of the show. It was almost over anyway, and I wanted to continue feeling better. I was close enough to hear it well, so I munched on my dough and people-watched while savoring the breeze rolling in from the lake.

I tossed the wrapper in the garbage, worlds better than I was a short time ago, and checked out the dresses hanging around the perimeter of one of the shops. In the meantime, I could keep an eye on the entrance; the last thing I wanted was Perry to have to search for me.

When the music ended, I kept a closer watch, darting my eyes between the exiting crowd and a lavender dress I’d fallen in love with at first sight. Almost double the material of what I wore now, but still light and perfect for a summer day. I took it off the hook and brought it over to the mirror, holding it in front of me. To my surprise, I didn’t appear as disheveled as I imagined. I expected limp, frizzy hair—a contradiction I experienced way too often—and black-smeared eyes, but instead, I looked decent. Some people cursed humidity, but that same moisture that swelled up your fingers could also plump up your face.

“You should totally get that.”

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